Horse leaning quarters against wall

[Marigold4]

I have an elderly connemara pony who is doing this in her stable. Has anyone else experienced this and know of a possible cause? I've owned her for 15 years. This winter she has started to lean back against her stable wall for long periods of time when in. She's out 24/7 when possible but has been in at night more than usual this winter. She doesn't lie down at night but still rolls in the field. She's pretty sound except for a stiffness in her left hock which she's had for years due to mild arthritis. She looks depressed. Not the cheeky pony she used to be. Pony has great feet with thick soles. Excellent barefoot trimmer says no signs of laminitis. She has been seen by the vet x 4 in last year but can't find anything. I might put her on bute for a few days as a trial but it would be useful to know the cause.

Any thoughts or experiences please?

 

[hopscotch bandit]

I'd say she's uncomfortable in her hocks and she is sore and so resting her bum on the wall takes some of the weight off the painful joint.

I would get the vet out with a view to giving her another steroid injection.

She could also have PSD (proximal suspensory desmitis) which is another reason why they lean against the stable wall. Another sign of PSD is horses that dig holes into the bedding to point their toes into.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I'd chat with vet, possibly sacroiliac, hock or back issues, need to get vet checked rather than just bute so you know what you wre dealing with x

 

[meleeka]

My old lad did this when he had arthritis in his stifle. That wasn’t a definitive diagnosis but the vets best guess. I’d say being in more has probably meant she’s feeling arthritis more than normal.

 

[ycbm]

How elderly?

Depending on her age, with what we know now about sleep in horses, I wouldn't keep an old horse going who can't be got comfortable enough to lie down to sleep.

It sounds like she needs some pain relief.

.

 

[Marigold4]

I'd chat with vet, possibly sacroiliac, hock or back issues, need to get vet checked rather than just bute so you know what you wre dealing with x

Vet has been out x4 in 12 months. Last time we trotted her up and lunged her. Just the stiffness in the hock to see. She suggested bute trial but in the end we decided to do prascend trial first although she has tested x3 negative in 12 months.

 

[Marigold4]

How elderly?

Depending on her age, with what we know now about sleep in horses, I wouldn't keep an old horse going who can't be got comfortable enough to lie down to sleep.

It sounds like she needs some pain relief.

.

Have the vet's approval to do a bute trial so think I will start this. She has multiple melanoma and breathing issues as well. It crosses my mind that we are near the end with her but this doesn't seem to cross the vet's mind. Each time I call them out, I expect to have a conversation about quality of life but they don't. It's a tough one to phone vet and say PTS if they are not thinking that. Or has vet policy changed and they wait for you to make the call??

 

[Marigold4]

How elderly?

Depending on her age, with what we know now about sleep in horses, I wouldn't keep an old horse going who can't be got comfortable enough to lie down to sleep.

It sounds like she needs some pain relief.

.

We don't know how old as I was given her in the days before passports and she has no papers, but we think from teeth mid-20s.

 

[Marigold4]

I'd say she's uncomfortable in her hocks and she is sore and so resting her bum on the wall takes some of the weight off the painful joint.

I would get the vet out with a view to giving her another steroid injection.

She could also have PSD (proximal suspensory desmitis) which is another reason why they lean against the stable wall. Another sign of PSD is horses that dig holes into the bedding to point their toes into.

That's interesting about digging holes in bedding. She makes a kind of bank of bedding against the wall, so bedding is thinner where her toes are. This would allow her to stand in a toe down position?

 

[Marigold4]

That's interesting about digging holes in bedding. She makes a kind of bank of bedding against the wall, so bedding is thinner where her toes are. This would allow her to stand in a toe down position?

Re the PSD, we did do a short lameness work up though and vet said only 1/10 lame though. I thought 2/10.

 

[be positive]

Have the vet's approval to do a bute trial so think I will start this. She has multiple melanoma and breathing issues as well. It crosses my mind that we are near the end with her but this doesn't seem to cross the vet's mind. Each time I call them out, I expect to have a conversation about quality of life but they don't. It's a tough one to phone vet and say PTS if they are not thinking that. Or has vet policy changed and they wait for you to make the call??

Not many vets will suggest pts, unless the horse is seriously injured or unwell, they all tend to expect the owner to bring it up first, only once has it been offered to me and that time I was not considering it, the pony had a tough time but recovered, every other call has been made by me, vets have not questioned it, you need to start the conversation/ discussion, if you want to have one, it sounds as if a bute trial may help and it seems fair to give her a little more time as getting out 24/7 may make all the difference although I might be reluctant to take her into next winter if she is uncomfortable lying down inside.

 

[milliepops]

Have the vet's approval to do a bute trial so think I will start this. She has multiple melanoma and breathing issues as well. It crosses my mind that we are near the end with her but this doesn't seem to cross the vet's mind. Each time I call them out, I expect to have a conversation about quality of life but they don't. It's a tough one to phone vet and say PTS if they are not thinking that. Or has vet policy changed and they wait for you to make the call??

Unless the horse is at death's door the vet is not going to tell you to PTS, the owner is the one who sees how the horse is coping day to day and IMO it would be for you to initiate that discussion and explain the things you are noticing.

 

[Marigold4]

Unless the horse is at death's door the vet is not going to tell you to PTS, the owner is the one who sees how the horse is coping day to day and IMO it would be for you to initiate that discussion and explain the things you are noticing.

Not many vets will suggest pts, unless the horse is seriously injured or unwell, they all tend to expect the owner to bring it up first, only once has it been offered to me and that time I was not considering it, the pony had a tough time but recovered, every other call has been made by me, vets have not questioned it, you need to start the conversation/ discussion, if you want to have one, it sounds as if a bute trial may help and it seems fair to give her a little more time as getting out 24/7 may make all the difference although I might be reluctant to take her into next winter if she is uncomfortable lying down inside.

Thanks for advice. I'll start her on the bute today. Trimmer is coming later so he can also check over for hind leg lameness. I've always felt she was happier in the winter as she rubs and has blocked tear ducts. So summer is endless round of fly rugs, fly masks, creams and tea tree oil washes. Breathing isn't great either when it's hot but treated with Ventolin.

 

[Marigold4]

Unless the horse is at death's door the vet is not going to tell you to PTS, the owner is the one who sees how the horse is coping day to day and IMO it would be for you to initiate that discussion and explain the things you are noticing.

I do keep doing this - discussing her problems with vet though! (X 4 in 12 months) She also has multiple melanoma and breathing issues. I guess I need to 'man up', make the decision and tell them that's what I want to do. We'll do the bute trial for a couple of weeks, then see. She's already had aPrascend trial despite testing negative for Cushings and EMS x 3, but no effect.

 

[milliepops]

have you discussed it in a quality-of-life context though, because the vet maybe thinks you have just wanted help to manage each condition before now.

It does sound like you are reaching the end sadly

 

[ester]

It could well be that as much as anything she is sleep deprived if she is not laying down.
Is not laying down a relatively new development?

 

[hopscotch bandit]

I'd get her on one sachet of bute a day and see how she goes from there. Unless she is on a shavings bed how do you know whether she lies down or not? Mine is always covered in shavings from head to foot and her tail is full of them too. Sometimes she might go one or maybe two days without lying down but this is rare and of course she's lying down a lot more since she's been on box rest.

I took mine into the indoor school at our yard for a roll on Saturday as she's been on box rest for 3 months and I felt it would be good for her to have a roll as she's moulting terribly.

Sure enough she went down and rolled and rolled and rolled making some really loud and satisfying roaring noises and leapt up without a problem. But maybe you can take yours into a similar situation and see if she rolls and watch how she gets up.

I wouldn't worry about calling time on her, I'd at least put her on a bute trial and see how she gets on with more turnout. It's amazing how oldies come on leaps and bounds as soon as they feel the spring sunshine on their backs and have a belly of grass.

 

[Marigold4]

Barefoot trimmer says horses that stand toes down like that have tight hamstrings, sore hocks or lumbar pain. We lunged her and not lame so bute and physio next for the old girl. She also had a make over from me this afternoon and now looks like a beautiful unicorn!

 

[Mule]

Barefoot trimmer says horses that stand toes down like that have tight hamstrings, sore hocks or lumbar pain. We lunged her and not lame so bute and physio next for the old girl. She also had a make over from me this afternoon and now looks like a beautiful unicorn!

Good news